Monday, December 29, 2008

One of the most wonderful things about poetry is its versatility. Experimentation with various forms often makes a jumble. The trick is to make the jumble seem as if it were intentional. Such is the same with inspiration, since the foundation of poetry is emotion. There hasn't been an emotion in human history that hasn't been covered in some way, shape, or form through poetry, and seeking to link inspiration and emotion with new avenues of expression is never a sure bet, but it's always fun to do nonetheless.

Below is my experimental poem inspired by Shawn Wong's novel American Knees. The poem is open to criticism (after all, it IS experimental), and I'm happy to say that it's the inaugural creative writing piece for this blog.

The Sentiment

As we looked aheadI walked toward youPurposely mumbling so you couldn’t hearSo I would have an excuse to lean next to youYour back covered my armI nestled on you, mouth to earYou nestled back, your waist and my hand metA brave thing you did, I didn’t fight backYou turned to kiss me, pulled me closeThe dessert that was a kiss under your left ear…

Later, in two years, our listswere made in anger and on the spotrules in our minds always existed but only declared now

Throw away old t-shirts if:1. They're stretched beyond recognition2. There are holes in the armpit, chest, or back areas3. You haven’t worn them since high school4. It's your own personal roll of tissue paper5. You’ve never worn them. The graphics are too damn ugly.

Throw away cosmetics if:1. You’re allergic to it2. It's crusted up4. No, wait, 3. It’s not the same color it once was4. You hate the color it is now5. The bottle/box/tube is empty.

Disposed sentimental things;Sacred items that would never be thrownExcept in fits of anger or despairHow the weight of objects dragged us downTook away lift, prevented forward motionThe weight of a first kissWill never be thrown away

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Welcome to Tilting at Treadmills, the idea-channel with which I'll share a variety of writing samples with two primary goals in mind:

1. To improve my creative writing through feedback and comments via an online workshop format.2. To strengthen and reinforce the love of consistently writing several times a week

As is the nature of blogs in general, I am dependent upon open discussion and a free trade of ideas, comments, and witty retorts; I thrive on feedback either through smile or gritted teeth. Most of all, readers are my mirror, something that I can use not only to examine myself but also something to bounce ideas back. Now that I think about it, scratch that analogy: this blog is my mirror, but readers are the light.

With that said, I'll list my writing interests:-Poetry (primarily prose)-Short fiction and Novella excerpts-Column: primarily politics, social justice, media, and pop culture-The Sciences in Layman's Terms, aka "Look What I Learned From The Discovery Channel"-Essays-Reviews-Random mental flatulence (as is common in the Blogosphere)